Woburn to host English Amateur Championship in 2011

The English Golf Union (EGU) will break new ground in 2011 when the English Amateur Championship is staged at Woburn Golf Club.

Also in the 2011 fixtures just released, Burnham & Berrow will play host to the Brabazon Trophy, while the County Finals will be contested at Ganton.

Woburn’s Marquess and Duchess courses will stage the English Amateur from the 25th - 30th July 2011 and while the famous club has been the venue for many prestigious professional tournaments for more than 25 years, this will only be the second time it has hosted an EGU Championship. The first was in 1982 when the Brabazon Trophy was staged there with England International Paul Downes emerging as champion.

The same does not apply to Burnham & Berrow. The Somerset jewel has been a regular on the EGU fixture list and the 2011 Brabazon (English Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship) from 24th - 26th June, will further cement the link.

Burnham & Berrow has hosted the Brabazon on two previous occasions. In 1956 the title went to Stan Fox of Hartley Wintney Artisans on 292, winning by four strokes, then in 1990 Gary Evans and Olivier Edmond from France finished tied on 287. The club has also hosted many more EGU events, including the English Amateur on six occasions, the most recent in 2006 when Ross McGowan beat Oliver Fisher in the final. Six English County Championships have also been played over the famous links as well as the Carris Trophy.

The climax of the 2011 County Championship will be played out at the North Yorkshire gem of Ganton, another club that has been a favourite for EGU events over the years. This will be the sixth occasion that the County finals will have visited Ganton, the most recent being in 1983 when BB&O were the champions. The club has also staged the English Amateur on five occassions and the Brabazon on four.

The other two 2011 County Finals will take in venues new to the EGU fixture list. The Boys Finals, on 23rd - 25th August, will conclude at Luffenham Heath in Leicestershire & Rutland, while the Seniors visit Gog Magog near Cambridge on 4th - 6th October.

East Anglia will also provide the battleground for the Mid-Amateur Championship for the Logan Trophy which will be played at the delightful Ipswich Golf Club (Purdis Heath) on 1st - 3rd July.

A month earlier, on 1st - 3rd June, the Senior Championship moves to Northants County and Northamptonshire Golf Clubs while England will host the Seniors Home Internationals in 2011 at Woodhall Spa.

The junior fixtures also take in a new venue, with the Under 16 Championship for the McGregor Trophy being played at South Moor in Durham on 12th -14th July and the Under 14 Championship for the Reid Trophy, returning to its roots at Porters Park on 2nd - 4th August. However, the Carris Trophy, the Under 18 Championship, is scheduled for Broadstone in Dorset, a venue that has staged EGU events such as the Boys County Finals and the Seniors Championship.

Among other venues, the Champion Club will be played at Scarcroft in Leeds, the Golf Captains at Selsdon Park in Surrey and the Schools Championship at The Worcestershire.

The full 2011 fixture list is: 1-3 June                 English Seniors Championship Northamptonshire County and Northampton 24-26 June              Brabazon Trophy Burnham & Berrow 1-3 July                   Mid-Amateur Championship Ipswich (Purdis Heath) 6 July                      English Schools Championship The Worcestershire 12-14 July               Under 16 Championship South Moor 19-21 July               Under 18 Championship Broadstone 25-30 July               English Amateur Championship Woburn (Marquess & Duchess) 2-4 August              Under 14 Championship Porters Park 13-14 August          EGU Gold Medal Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin Course) 20-21 August          Junior Champion Club Woodhall Spa (Bracken Course) 23-25 August          Boys County Finals Luffenham Heath 3-4 September        Champion Club Scarcroft 13-15 September    Seniors Home Internationals Woodhall Spa 17 September         Presidents & Guests Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin Course)  18 September         County Champions Tournament Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin Course) 23-25 September    County Finals Ganton 4-6 October            Seniors County Finals Gog Magog 8-9 October            English Golf Captains TBC